Tuesday, August 29, 2017

God's Grace Qualification

GOD’S GRACE QUALIFICATION

Psalm 103:1,4:  “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name; ... who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”

            Beneath veiled faces, morally questionable women stand tall.  The genealogy of Jesus is found in Matthew 1:1-16.  Verses 3, 5, and 6 name Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife).  Yet, Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel are missing.  Verse 2 omits the wives of the Christian patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.         

“What’s up, Father?” we wonder.

                “I am greater than human sin.” God replies.  “Where sin thrives, My grace overflows!”

            “But…Tamar deceived her father-in-law.  She pretended to be a prostitute to get pregnant!” we point out.

            “I commanded people to populate the earth.  Women are expected to produce children,” God explained.  “Tamar was also deceived.  I’m very fond of Tamar, and she did conceive.”   

            “So, it’s okay to lie to get what you want?” we ask.

            God replied, “No.  Lying is a sin.  My grace covers the sinner.  Remember that I WILL achieve My purpose.  Judah and Tamar’s son Perez produced the line from where Joseph came.  He married Mary—the mother of My Son!”

            “Rahab was a prostitute!” we mention.

            “Rahab believed in me.  She hid and protected the spies who checked out the Promised Land.” Our Father explained, “Then Rahab had Boaz—who married Ruth!”

               We continued, “Ruth was a Gentile!  What’s so special about Ruth?”

            Our Father smiled.  “Ruth heard and accepted Me from her husband! … Boaz noticed how well Ruth cared for her mother-in-law Naomi and agreed to be her kinsman redeemer.  They gave birth to Obed—from where David came.” 

            “But, why Bathsheba?  She represents a woman who all women hate!” we press our Father.

            He smiled.  “How could Bathsheba ignore the advances of King David?  Their son Solomon is proof that My grace covers repented sin!  Solomon continued the royal line from where My Son descended!”

            “Teach us how Your grace qualifies the morally questionable,” we plead.

            “When the world disqualifies someone, My grace qualifies them to receive My blessings.” God began.  “I offer an infinite number of do-overs.  These women are typical of men, too.  When trouble comes, peoples’ loss is neither final nor fatal.  I will pour grace on whomever comes to me, and turn their circumstances around.”

            Papa continues, “Know that I can position anyone and anything to suit My purpose anytime I want to!  All people have to do is ask!”   

Take Home Nugget
            Believers never need to be discouraged with circumstances.  Let’s trust our Father who turns lives from awful to awesome.  The lesson linked below shows God’s grace and tender mercies!

Holy Father, Thank You for qualifying me by Your grace.  Amen.

Adapted from “God Can Qualify the Disqualified” by Rev. Joseph Prince.  www.JosephPrince.org.  August 3, 2017.
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Friday, August 25, 2017

Buzz Thrill

BUZZ THRILL

Hebrews 6:19-20:  “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary, behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizekek.”

            “This hope” from the opening Scripture refers to faith in God.  Baptism, repentance, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment are taught to God’s kids.  Promises that accompany salvation provide confidence of a better life one day for all Christians. 
      
            A ship’s anchor holds it firm.  Anchors prevent drifting.  Seaweed can entangle. Sand bars can stop progress and reefs can poke holes into a ship’s hull.  Anchors are also familiar Christian symbols.  Artists use the anchor in stained-glass windows in churches to remind Believers-in-Christ that we’re: 1) forgiven, 2) accepted as God’s kids, and 3) eternal life is guaranteed by the Father.   Jesus died to offer these promises.

            A sure anchor sees Believers through all crises on earth.  Hope in this faith anchor helps people cope with disappointment and tragedy.  A sure anchor helps people stand tall through trouble.  The good news of “not guilty” in heaven’s court delivers “Buzz Thrills” to Believers! 

            Every organization has someone who complains, draining good will from the rest.  We call this person a buzz kill.  People hear them predict that loss of job, illness, even losing one’s friends loom on the horizon.  

            Because the Father backed up His promises with a solemn vow, His kids are guaranteed of His love, provision, and protection.  (See the lesson linked below to learn how God swears and from where Melchizedek came).     
    
Take Home Nugget

            Believers can—and do—drift.  Terrible winds can blow people off the course of righteousness.  Tragic circumstances often leave one adrift, blown off course and reeling.  What to do? 
  
            Psalm 91:2-4 offers advice: “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’  Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

            Life’s many temptations lure us into evil.  Thanks be to Jesus because He was tempted in all the ways we are, yet never drifted away from righteousness.  He intercedes for us at our Father’s right hand, forever (Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 7:25).  
  
            Clearly, we’re not strong enough to not drift away from the opening Scripture’s promise.  But God’s indwelling Spirit and His Word are!

Holy Father, empower me to hold firm to Your Word’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I claim Your best by faith in You and belief in Your Son, Jesus.  Amen.

Adapted from “Anchors Are Good” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  August 8, 2017.
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Get Up!

GET Up!

Psalm 96:7-8:  “Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts.”

            God only puts up with people’s pride here:

            “My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.”  Psalm 34:2.

            “In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever.”  Psalm 44:8.

            Romans 3:27a:  “Where, then, is boasting?  It is excluded.”

            1 Corinthians 1:31:  “Therefore, as it is written: ‘He who boasts boast in the LORD.’”

            James 1:9:  “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.”

            People have secrets.  But faith in God should never be one of them.  Let us get up to our feet.  Believers-in-Christ have so much to be thankful for:  God loved us as He knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).  Then, He sent His only Son Jesus to earth to demonstrate Himself (John 14:9).  God accepted Jesus’ sinless life and death on the cross as payment for all human sin.  Through faith in Jesus, Believers are offered eternal life with God!

            Grace.  Mercy.  Gifts showered on people that we never asked for nor deserve.  But both are necessary for us to get to know the Father.  Jesus is our righteousness in God.  Jesus is our perfection in God.  People are encouraged to pray—a direct path straight to His throne.  Jesus sits at God’s right hand.  Angels fill the throne room with praise songs. 

            Satan is forbidden there. 

            Get up!  Let’s boast in the LORD

            This is when we’re not shy.  This is when we tell others about Jesus.  This is when we shout what God has done in our lives.  We are encouraged to boast—about God.  People are His megaphones, the mouthpieces that tell others about Jesus.  

            We sing songs of praise in worship where Believers belt out our admiration of God.  “Arise and shine in splendor, let night today surrender; Your light is drawing near, above the day is beaming, in matchless beauty gleaming; the glory of the Lord is here.”  Martin Opitz, 1597-1639.  Heinrich Isaac, 1450-1517, tune. Lutheran Worship. Concordia Publishing House. 1982. Hymn #85.

            May our Father never be a secret to His children! 

Take Home Nugget

            King David’s son Solomon warns about pride in Proverbs 8:13 and 16:5, “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” … “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.  Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.”

            But, get up to brag about Jesus!

“May I never boast except in the cross of our LORD Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6:14.
Adapted from “Go Public” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  May 27, 2017.
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Friday, August 18, 2017

God's Use For Me

GOD’S USE FOR ME

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”  Psalm 51:1

            King David was a lot like you (and me).  Check out the lesson linked below for facts, both good AND bad things about David.  Yep.  David grew up his family’s shepherd boy.  His “goody-two-shoes” youth was truly innocent.  Yet as this young man waited patiently for decades to be crowned king, he stumbled AFTER resting in popular success.

            David was driven by the written word.  He certainly would have journaled today—the word we’ve changed from a noun into a verb.  God was closer than a brother to David…can any of you relate to that?  David appreciated all of creation that our Father created for our pleasure, and told Him so.  More than half of the psalms in the Bible were penned by David.

            Whether lavishly praising God, hiding from foes, or repenting of sins, David’s free time was consumed jotting down his awe.  Shepherding his family’s flock grew David’s faith.  God never left David’s side as wild animals like a bear and a lion licked their chops over tender lambs.  When the biggest challenge stared down David, he never flinched.

            The Philistines were dreaded enemies of Israel.  One giant warrior named Goliath confronted Israelite soldiers in 1 Samuel 17.   David sought out his brothers on the battle lines in the Valley of Elah.  Goliath challenged them and David accepted the fight.  His brothers argued that David was wicked and conceited. 

            “You came down here to watch the battle,” they mocked.

            “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give all of you into our hands.”  The soldiers overheard David’s promise. … “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

Take Home Nugget

            David knew that his approval from God was not his own performance but from God’s mercy.  David prayed every aspect of his life.  He prayed for forgiveness.  He prayed for help.  He prayed for protection.  AND David prayed for glory to God for His great and mighty acts. 

            Yeah, David was extraordinary.  So are you!  May God one day compliment you: “I have found [David son of Jesse] a man after My own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Thank You Father, for finding use for me during my earthly life.  May I find happiness in serving You.  May I also seek Your mercy over praise, as David did.  Thank You, Jesus for my forgiveness!  Amen.

Adapted from “Imperfect Heroes” by Pastor Mark Jeske.  www.TimeOfGrace.org.  August 3, 2017.
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Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Make One's Flame Brighter

MAKE ONE’S FLAME BRIGHTER

Numbers 22:6:  “Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me.  Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country.  For I know that those You bless are blessed, and those You curse are cursed.”

            Twelve-year-old Jeremy shook his head No.  “I’m not going to play on your team, Scotty.  You don’t play fair.  I will not tackle below the waist, knocking a guy’s legs out.  I will not head-butt, either.  Haven’t you heard that tackles can cause brain damage [(CTE) Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy]?  Concussions are from bruised brains!”

            There are two ways people get ahead in life.  One way is to push others down.  Wine is made from squeezing the grapes’ juice out, after all.  (An ancient procedure for wine making was to stomp grapes with bare feet).  Some think this is an okay way to treat people.  Squash someone below yourself.  Stomp another who competes with you.  Step over that person.  Walk away whistling a happy tune.  
   
Another other way to get ahead is to cooperate with God’s indwelling Spirit.  His job is to grow Believers-in-Christ past milk (the Bible) to solid food (spiritual growth in Christ).   Apostle Paul advises to “work out salvation with fear and trembling” AFTER one believes and accepts Jesus in Philippians 2:12. 

Jesus’ finished work on the cross offers people forgiveness and eternal life. The salvation part is God’s work, but we got to want it!  God’s Spirit lights Believers’ spirit flame.  As we grow up in salvation, we glow brighter!

The opening Scripture is about Balak’s wanting to crush the Israelites.  As the king of the Moabites, Balak was at wit’s end deciding the best way to deal with so many Hebrews.  He asked the sorcerer Balaam to curse them.  See the lesson linked below for God’s response in Numbers, chapter 22.  Balaam understood why God answered the way He did.    
            Let’s thank God that Balak never crushed the Israelites.  If he had succeeded, he would not only have hurt himself, but the whole world!  In Genesis 12:3, God says to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Blessing Israel blesses the whole world, and is why we’re encouraged to pray for peace in Jerusalem!

Take Home Nugget

            Tradition has people lift a cup of wine high and say a blessing.  This symbolizes raising up what had been crushed.  Like Jeremy, we choose to make our flames brighter by not hurting or crushing others.
 
Holy Father, may our flames glow brighter making the whole world a brighter place for us all!  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Adapted from “Blessing Others” by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.  www.HolyLandMoments.com.  July 4, 2017.
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Friday, August 11, 2017

Small Hills Are Do-Able

SMALL HILLS ARE DO-ABLE

Joshua 2:24:  “They [two spies Joshua sent to explore Canaan] said to Joshua, ‘The LORD has certainly given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.’”

            Their report sounds small hill do-able.  However, the original report that God told Moses to get about Canaan returned with mountains of impossible obstacles.  “The people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.  We even saw descendants of Anak there. … We cannot attack these people; they are stronger than we are.”  (Numbers 13:28, and 31).

            Numbers 13:32, and 33 reports, “The land we explored devours everyone in it.  All the people we saw there were of great size. …  We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”  

            These faithless spies intended to arouse fear in the people.  Their plan worked.  Numbers 14 shows the people wailed loudly.  They didn’t want to enter Canaan anymore.  In fact, they wanted to name a new leader who’d return them to Egypt and slavery!

            Only faithful Caleb and Joshua tried to sway the people to enter their “Promised Land” that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 6:2-4).  Numbers 13:30 says, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’”  The lesson linked below shows more debates by Caleb.  
    
            The Israelites’ rebellion against God began their 40-year journey.  Canaan is only an eleven day “small hill”-do-able obstacle (Deuteronomy 1:2).   The people had a bad attitude and no faith.  They envisioned entering Canaan was impossible.  They never reached their “Promised Land” nor their potential. 
    
            God reacted to Israelite mutiny in Numbers 14:23, “Not one of the men who saw My glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert who disobeyed Me and tested Me ten times—not one of them will ever see the l and I promised to their forefathers.  Not one who has treated Me with contempt will ever see it.”

Take Home Nugget

            Both the righteous and the wicked envision the same life landscape.  The picture only changes compared to one’s perspective.  The wicked see a mountain and say.  “I can never do that!”  While they could have reached their goals, a bad attitude and little faith stops them cold.  At life’s end, they are tormented with regret.

            The righteous see a small hill and think, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13).  At life’s end, the righteous see their accomplishments as monumental!

Help me Holy Father, to seize challenges You present as do-able by the power of Your Son and Spirit.  Amen.
 
Adapted from “Reaching Our Goals” by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.  www.HolyLandMoments.com.  July 25, 2017.
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